Philadelphia residents were surprised this week to find posters around the city falsely claiming that the Philadelphia Eagles football team had endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

The posters, which have since been removed, appeared at various bus shelters, depicted Harris dressed in Eagles gear, complete with a helmet and football, alongside a caption that read, “Kamala. The official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles," as the Daily Wire reports.

The posters were first spotted at several prominent locations, including 16th and Spring Garden streets, 18th Street and JFK Boulevard, and 34th and Walnut streets near the University of Pennsylvania campus. The misleading ads also contained a URL, purportedly linking to the Philadelphia Eagles’ website, which provided outdated voting information for the upcoming primaries.

The Eagles quickly took action, issuing a statement on their official social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The statement read, “We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.” The team’s response has since gone viral, garnering nearly 5 million views.

Eagles Team Denies Any Political Endorsement

As the fake posters continued to spread across the city, the Philadelphia Eagles made it clear that they had no involvement in endorsing any political candidate. The team emphasized that they were working diligently with their advertising partner to remove the counterfeit ads from the bus shelters.

A spokesperson for SEPTA, the city’s public transportation agency, clarified that the bus shelters where the posters were found were owned by the city and not under SEPTA’s jurisdiction.

“The bus shelters are owned by the city. So far, we have not heard anything about ads like this appearing on SEPTA property,” the spokesperson stated.

Despite this clarification, the presence of the posters in enclosed cases at SEPTA bus stops raised suspicions. One reporter noted, “I can’t imagine this was authorized by @Eagles. However, the fact that it is in an enclosed case at a @SEPTA bus stop raises all kinds of flags and eyebrows.”

Comparisons to Previous Political Art Hoaxes

Social media users quickly drew comparisons between these fake posters and previous politically themed artworks by street artist Winston Tseng.

Although there is no confirmation of Tseng’s involvement in the Kamala Harris posters, his past work includes similar unauthorized political posters featuring President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump at a SEPTA stop in Philadelphia.

As the investigation continues, the Eagles and their advertising partner are focused on ensuring that the remaining counterfeit posters are removed from the city’s bus shelters. In the meantime, the incident has sparked a broader conversation about the unauthorized use of a professional sports team’s image in political messaging.

Fox 29 News covered the story extensively, with one of their reporters posting a video showing a blank space where one of the posters had been taken down. The video quickly gained attention, further fueling public interest in the situation. Another reporter provided additional context, noting the posters' locations and questioning the process by which they were placed in the enclosed cases.

Ongoing Questions About the Posters’ Origin

The origin of the fake Kamala Harris endorsement posters remains unclear. While the Philadelphia Eagles and local authorities work to address the issue, questions linger about who is responsible for creating and distributing the misleading ads.

The use of a URL linking to the Eagles' official website but providing outdated voting information adds another layer of complexity to the situation. It is unclear whether the URL was intended to mislead voters or if it was simply part of the broader hoax.

As the Eagles continue to distance themselves from the political posters, the incident serves as a reminder of the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly, particularly when it involves high-profile organizations like an NFL team.

Conclusion

The Philadelphia Eagles have taken swift action to counteract the fake endorsement posters circulating in their name, emphasizing that the team does not endorse any political candidates.

As investigations continue, the city remains on alert for any further instances of unauthorized political messaging using the Eagles' image.

This incident highlights the challenges of combating misinformation in the digital age, especially when it involves well-known public figures and institutions.